Has a tenant recently asked you for a landlord reference letter? Or perhaps the tenant’s new place of residence has called, asking for a quick reference on the tenant?

Here are 5 important things you need to know when providing a reference, followed by a sample reference letter you can use to write for your tenant.

Be Honest – tell the truth, even if it hurts. Especially if it hurts. Do not say anything just to get rid of a troublesome tenant.

Just the facts – don’t mention how the tenant is as a person. Keep to the facts about payment and care of the property.

Be Mindful of Fair Housing: Don’t mention anything about the tenant’s race, background etc. You must be mindful of fair housing laws at all times, especially in a reference letter.

Describe the unit, too: Many landlords will leave out important factors about the condition of the unit, mentioning only rent paid on time.

Use a formal template: You will save yourself countless hours of time and potential litigation, by using a standardized template for all of your tenants. That way, you can prove that you treat all tenants equally.

Free Landlord Reference Letter Template:

[Date]

To Who It May Concern:

This tenant reference letter is provided on behalf of [tenant name]. They were tenants at [rental address] from [First Day of Lease] to [Last Day of Lease].

Payments

The last monthly rent payment was ____.

The rent was paid on time.

There were ___ late payments during the duration of the lease.

Condition of Property

The tenants kept the property in good condition. The following damages were noted upon their exit from the unit:

Security Deposit

The security deposit of $___ was fully/partially refunded within the legally required time frame. If only part of the security deposit was refunded, it was because of:

Evictions

No eviction notices were served on the tenants.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. My information is below.

If you have a tenant who has stayed on without paying rent, they’re what’s known as a holdover tenant. This is often called “tenancy at sufferance” in the legal profession.

You might, however, consider them a squatter. A Squatter is defined as:

a person who settles on land or occupies property without title, right, or payment of rent

In other words, a squatter is someone who lives in your rental unit, but does not have the legal right to be there. The worst thing about squatters, is that in some more “enlightened states”, it can be almost impossible to get them removed from your property. California – we’re looking at you!

The rise of house sharing platforms like AirBNB or VRBO has created a huge rise in squatters, or previously paying tenants who now have stopped paying the rent. Why, you ask? California, and many other states, have laws that define tenants as anyone who has lived in a property for 30 days.

If you rent out your AirBNB for more then 30 days, in those states, your “guests” would become tenants. If they stopped paying, that means you’re going to need to evict them.

Trespassing Squatters

Hopefully you don’t have rental units just lying vacant. But if you do, you may end up with the worst kind of Squatters – the kind that trespass and refuse to leave. As a law abiding landlord, is the law on your side?

It depends, as always, on the city and state you live in. If your squatters manage to fulfill certain requirements, the law might recognize them as lawful residents. For example, in some states, just getting utilities hooked up under the squatter’s name can be considered residency!

If the squatters establish this important distinction, then the police are not going to help. You’re going to turn to the civil courts, a process that may take months or years. In the meanwhile, you’re up the creek while your unit is in limbo.

Warning! Don’t Do These Things To Your Squatters!

If you end up with either illegal squatters or tenants requiring an eviction, then it’s important not to do things that may harm your cause later in the eyes of the law. In other words, don’t shoot yourself in the foot.

Don’t:

Lock the tenant out, put padlocks up or change the locks

Attempt to shut off the utilities

Intimidate the tenant/squatter physically or verbally

Help! I have a squatter, what should I do?

If your vacant rental unit ends up being squatted, here’s what you should do right away:

Call the cops. Let the police know immediately that you have a trespassing problem. If they consider the matter a civil issue, it’s time to start eviction right away.

Start the eviction process. You can find more details in our eviction guide.

Call the Bailiff. The squatter probably won’t move when served with an eviction notice. The law is now on your side – have the local sheriff proceed with the actual eviction.

You need to be careful with your rental property, and protect yourself at all times against squatters. If you do end up with them, make sure you know exactly how to handle them according to your state and local laws before going forward.

It is highly beneficial for both tenants and landlords to be aware of their rights, and what the law stipulates about a rental property and the relationship between tenants and landlords. As a landlord or tenant, this knowledge can be quite handy when you are faced with a challenging situation related to a rental property. This article offers a summary of fundamental Alabama Landlord Tenant Laws, which apply to residential rental properties.

Alabama Laws on Security Deposit

The Alabama Landlord Tenant Laws (Alabama Code § 35-9A-201) limits how much security deposit a landlord can demand from a potential tenant; this deposit is set at an equivalent of one month’s rent. This stipulated security deposit does not cover pet deposits and any alterations that may be done on the premises such as undoing staircases to accommodate a physically challenged individual.

The security deposit is usually intended to cover any damage to the property after the tenant moves out. This deposit also cushions the landlord from incurring any rental loss if the tenant moves out early, without paying rent. The deadline for returning this deposit is set at 60 days after the tenant moves or after the lease has expired. The landlord must also present an itemized list of all the deductions he/she made the deposit such as the cost of repairs.

Alabama Notice Rules on Outstanding rent and Entry

The state Landlord-Tenant Laws in Alabama require the landlord to give a notice period of at least 30 days for the tenant to raise rent; this is unless a rental agreement that states otherwise was agreed upon by both parties. On the other side, a tenant has seven days to pay his/her rent; otherwise, the landlord is allowed to file for eviction. The law also instructs a ten-day notice to quite a lease or remedy in the event a tenant violates a lease agreement.

The Required Notice before an entry is two days. The law also allows entry for maintenance and repair purposes, but there has to be a notice given before entry. In the event, the tenant has an extended absence (more than 14 days) unannounced entry is permitted by law but with good reason. The landlord is also allowed to show the property but only when a notice has been issued. The law also allows for emergency entry when there is no notice.

Lease, Rent and Fee Rules

Alabama Landlord Tenant Laws demand that the following be spelled out included in all lease agreements:

• The amount of rent a landlord should charge a tenant. There are no limits set on this rule.

• The contract should indicate where and how rent should be remitted. For instance, payment should be sent to the landlord’s office via mail.

• How rental payments should be made (money order, credit care or cash or cheque) and the date for remitting rent.

• It should state the consequences a tenant will incur for failure to pay rent on time, such as termination of tenancy.

• The lease must stipulate everything that the landlord is obligated to do. For instance, the landlord may agree to be responsible for maintaining the property such as repainting it once in a while.

State laws in Alabama concerning rental property do not stipulate the notice period a landlord must give a tenant in order to increase rent or change other terms of the lease agreement. However, the general rule is the notice period of rent increase is the same time a landlord must provide when terminating tenancy which is 30 days unless the rental agreement states otherwise.

Regarding rental late fees, the laws in Alabama are “silent”. However, if a tenant does not pay rent on the stipulated date (by rental agreement); the landlord may charge him/her a late fee. However, if the terms of late fees are not stated in the rental agreement, the landlord may not impose them on the tenant.

Small Claims court limit

The Law in Alabama allows tenants to sue their landlord for a limit of $6,000 in a small claims court when they fail to return deposits. Once a complainant has been filed the defendant may respond in written form within 14 days. The law allows both the tenant and landlord, to have an attorney represent them in this court, and so does a collection agency that is suing to collect a debt. You should note that the small claims court does not hear matters related to eviction notices; these are instead arbitrated upon by other higher courts.

Required Landlord Disclosures

Under Alabama Landlord Tenant Laws (Ala. Code § 35-9A-202) landlords are obligated to disclose accurate information to their potential tenants and tenants. For instance, the address and name of the property Management Company or individual that is authorized to take any action on the landlord’s/owners behalf, in matters related to receiving and issuing notices and managing the property. This information is usually contained in the lease or rental agreement

Tenant Rights to Withhold Rent

In most states the tenant usually has the right to withhold rent in the event that he/she has carried out necessary repairs on the property; this is usually referred to as the right to “repair and deduct”. However, this right does not exist under the Alabama Landlord and Tenant Laws. When a landlord fails to make the necessary repairs such as a leaking roof or broken heater, the tenant should request these repairs by issuing the landlord with a written notice. The notice period allowed is 14 days, after which if no action is taken the tenant has the right to move out of the premises. The tenant also has the right to remain in the premises and sue the landlord for damages. This rights are stipulated under Ala. Code § 35-9A-164.

Termination and Eviction Rules in Alabama

The state’s landlord and tenants laws stipulate how and when a landlord can terminate a tenancy. For instance, if a tenant has been found in possession or uses illegal drugs in the premises, the landlord has the right to issue an unconditional quit notice. This notice gives a tenant seven days to vacate the premises; otherwise, the landlord can file for eviction.

Local Ordinances which Affect Alabama Landlords and Tenants laws

Counties and cities will often pass local ordinances that may affect the state laws. For instance, a county may stipulate antidiscrimination rules, health and safety standards and regulations on noise and nuisance. It is important as a landlord or tenant to be conversant with these local rules. These local ordinances can usually be found on municipalities or city websites.

As a tenant, you have certain rights under the Alabama landlords and tenant laws such as, the right to live in a rental property that meets the basic health and safety standards. The landlord also has rights under this law, such as the right to get rent in a timely and convenient manner (according to the lease agreement). Both the rights of the landlord and the tenants are protected under law, and hence the need to be conversant with these rules and regulations. This article has covered some of the fundamental laws, which should act as a guide when you are renting property. It is, however, important to study these laws in depth when faced with certain legal rental related issues, or consult a lawyer in such an event.

How To Write a Rent Increase Notice

There are a lot of good reasons to raise the rent. In fact, training your longer term tenants to expect a yearly rental increase can be one of the best ways to guarantee an increase in the return on investment of your rental properties. Additionally, it serves as a good hedge against inflation.

Some Landlords feel bad or awkward about raising the rent, but remember, it’s just a cost of doing business.

Below, you’ll find tips on how to increase the rent without losing your tenants, as well as a free rental increase template for you to modify.

Tip #1: Make the rent increase part of the rental contract

In your initial rental contract, add language that, on renewal, mentions a rental increase. You can either mention a real number or use a percentage. Try not to overcharge, 3-5% is usually a good bet. Of course, if rents skyrocket in your market at the end of the lease, you’re not required to renew with that tenant.

Check with your local landlord association to make sure this is legal in your state.

Tip #2: Give Ample Notice, In Compliance with Local Laws

Let the tenant know way in advance that you’re going to raise the rent. If they don’t want to stay, then you’ll have time to properly market and rent out the unit, lowering your vacancy rates and keeping your cash flow going.

You can send the letter via email, or mail. It’s up to you if you want to explain why you want to raise the rent. Sometimes, mentioning an increase in your expenses (such as local taxes, heating, etc), may make the tenant more open to a rental increase.

If a new lease is required, make sure to send it to the tenant to get their signature and renewal.

Tip #3: Use This Sample Rental Notice as a guideline

[Date]
[Tenant’s Name]
[Tenant’s Address]
[City/State/Zip Code]

Re:Notice of Rent Increase

Dear [Tenant’s Name],

Your lease at the property listed above will expire on [Lease Expiration Date].

Effective [Rent Increase Date], the monthly rent for this property will increase to $____. This represents a change of $___ from your current rent, $____ per month.

If you wish to continue with your [lease agreement/month to month tenancy], you will be required to pay this new amount. The rest of your lease agreement shall remain the same, with all terms in force and effect. Should you not wish to renew your lease agreement with us, please provide us with notice as soon as possible, but note then the legally required date of [Last Day Notice Date].

Please contact me with any questions or concerns you have, at [contact information].

Sincerely,

[Signature]
[Name]

Tip #4: Know The Law about Rental Increases!

As always, the law has something to say about rental increases. If you are a landlord in an area with rent control or rent stabilization, then there are significant restrictions on your ability to raise rents.

Additionally, you cannot raise the rent in the middle of a fixed lease contract. If you rent to section 8 tenants or through another HUD or local agency program, there may be additional restrictions on rental increases.

For tenants who signed a lease, you cannot arbitrarily raise the rents until the period is up. If you placed a clause in your lease agreement to allow for rental increases within the term, note that many courts frown upon this and may invalidate your entire lease agreement.

For month to month tenants, you can raise rents as long as you provide proper notice. The notice period will vary by state. Your notice must be provided in writing. As with any important communication with a tenant, we strongly suggest registered mail at a minimum.

Additionally, you cannot raise the rent in a way that is discriminatory. Meaning, you can’t raise a rent due to race, religion, or something else you don’t particularly like about the tenant.

If a tenant has filed a complaint or exercised a legal right, raising the rent within a certain period may well be viewed as “retaliation” by the courts.

Tip #4: Know Your Local Market Rents!

You can’t charge whatever you want for a rental, because tenants will go elsewhere. Make sure to know your local rates. Keeping your rates within the market range will ensure that tenants stay, even when you raise the rents a bit.

This guide will take you through the eviction process, and will give you the steps necessary to properly evict/kick out a tenant from rental property. Note that we are not lawyers and the aim of this guide is to provide general guidelines. Contact legal counsel before proceeding.

Important notice to landlords in California, Florida, and New York: You will have extreme difficulty in evicting tenants in these states. These states are notoriously tenant friendly, and you may not be able to evict. Please contact your local landlord association or attorney before even beginning the process.

Evictions: The Process is Part of being a Landlord.

If this is your first time having to evict someone, don’t bee to hard on yourself. Evictions are simply part of the process of being a landlord. Even great tenants sometimes have issues. Your job is to be sympathetic but firm. In other words, pay or get out.

While it may seem harsh, at the end of the day, your job is to make money from your rental properties. Letting someone stay in your unit rent free is a surefire way to lose your shirt in the real estate business.

Don’t get me wrong – it can be really depressing to evict a tenant whom you have a relationship with. But sometimes, you don’t have a choice. And when it comes to being nice or making sure you get paid, you need to get paid.

The eviction process starts with having a valid reason to evict a tenant.

Let’s get started:

How Eviction Laws Work

Eviction laws are different from state to state (see our above notice, for example). More so, eviction laws can even be different by county. Some counties enact ordinances or requirements that may make it more difficult then the minimums set by the state.

Because evictions are a legal issue, it’s important that you start from a solid legal basis. We recommend using a lease agreement that is written by lawyers, designed specifically for you state. Your local landlord association or real estate broker may have a standardized set of lease agreements for you to use.

If you’ve used a custom lease agreement, it’s important to take a few minutes and make sure that the lease you used will allow you to evict your tenant. Otherwise, you may lose your case in eviction court when the time comes.

You Can’t Just Throw a Tenant To The Curb

As much as you’d like, you can’t just kick the tenant out after they’ve violated their lease. These type of evictions are illegal and unlawful and may completely wreck any attempt at actually getting the tenant out.

Specifically do not:

Enter the tenant’s property without consent

Remove their property to the curb before being awarded an eviction by the court

hire someone to physically remove or intimidate the tenant

change the locals on the tenant’s apartment

shut off utilities (electric,gas,water,heat,etc)

Harass the tenant in any way or form (stink bombs, loud music, etc).

Remember that evicting someone is a legal process that can take time. If you act rashly or outside the scope of this process, you can seriously harm your case in court.

Do you have a good reason to evict someone?

You can’t evict someone just because you don’t like them. You need to have a legitimate, legal reason for attempting to evict a tenant.

Make sure you have proof (the more, the merrier), so you can prove your case in court.

Should you try and talk to your tenant?

This is a good question. It really depends on the situation, why you need to evict, and what the rental market is like in your area.

For example, in a soft rental market, where you may not be able to get another tenant, attempting to reason with a tenant who is a bit behind on the rent might make sense.

Conversely, in a strong market, you probably can afford to be much stricter with your tenants.

Generally speaking, it’s best to have a written process in place and enforce it equally among all your tenants. Otherwise, you open yourself up to both Fair Housing lawsuits, and the possibility that you may lose your eviction case as well.

File an Eviction Notice or “Notice to Quit”

Once you’ve decided you want to evict your tenant, you need to provide the tenant with an eviction notice. In legal jargon this may also be called a “notice to quit”. Below we’ll provide a general guidelines of eviction notices, however it’s important to note that this process varies greatly by state.

How to File an Eviction Notice

Include a deadline to pay or move out.

Include amount owed, including fees.

Make sure you provide ample notice before the actual eviction. This differs from state to state and can be anywhere from 3-60 days!

Provide a copy to the tenant, and make sure to send a copy certified mail with return receipt requested via US Mail to provide proof.

At this point, the eviction process has formally begun.

Hopefully, your tenant will “cure” the issue by paying the rent or making repairs, but sadly that’s not often the case. Now the clock starts ticking, and once the specified time has passed, it’s time to file in local court.

How to File an Eviction Notice in Court

The next step is to go to your local court, and file the eviction paperwork. If you’re a bigger landlord with several units, you may have an attorney on retainer who does this for you. In some states, you must file eviction with an attorney. In other states, you can file yourself.

Go to the appropriate court or their website, and ask the clerk for the paperwork necessary to file an eviction. At this point the clerk will issue a summons, and your tenant will need to show up in eviction court.

(Bonus:If your tenant doesn’t show up, then you win the case by default!… Usually.)

Getting Ready for Eviction Court

Assuming your tenant hasn’t already flown the coop, then it’s time to go to court and win your case.

Bring as much documentation as you can, including:

lease agreements

bounced checks/failed credit card or debit payments

communication records (emails, phone, letters, text)

any other proof for the eviction (pictures of damages, police reports, complaints, etc)

a copy of the notice provided to your tenant

proof that the tenant received your notice, with the date.

The court will usually decide at the time of the case.

If you’ve won, then read on.

Evicting the Tenant

Once you’ve won your eviction case, you can now evict your tenant.

If your tenant hasn’t physically left, you can go the local sheriff or bailiff who will help you evict the tenant. In general, it’s better to have the law do this for you. Eviction processes have been known to get violent, so you’re best making sure a professional gets them out if they haven’t already.

How To Get Good Tenants

Alright, your eviction is done. Hopefully it won’t happen again. Here are some helpful hints to help you get better tenants:

develop a better screening process – did this tenant have a bad record?

check for previous eviction processes. Often they may be in several states. Sometimes their filed as unlawful detainers.

Run a thorough employment and credit check – can the tenant really pay the bills?

In the US, Obesity is fast becoming the biggest health crisis of our generation. There are lots of reasons, from fast food to lifestyle changes and a changing way of working, but the bottom line is we’re getting fat.

In this map, we plotted the percentage of obese people within the larger population. Some of the results, are, quite frankly, scary:

On average, at least 30.8% of the population is obese. Remember, we’re not talking about putting a few pounds on after your thirties. We’re talking life altering, health threatening obesity. If you take three people, one of them will be obese. That’s INSANE!

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Here are the top 10 fattest cities in America:

1

42.3%

Opelousas, LA

2

41%

Orangeburg, SC

3

40.2%

Hammond, LA

4

39.7%

Saginaw, MI

5

39.5%

Roanoke Rapids, NC

6

39.4%

Houma, LA

7

39.2%

Pine Bluff, AR

8

39.2%

Rocky Mount, NC

9

39%

Lumberton, NC

10

39%

Huntington, WV

How Does Obesity Affect America?

Healthcare Costs.

Obese people spend 42% more on healthcare. The estimated cost of obesity related medical treatments is between approximately $147 Billion dollars. That’s nearly 10% of all annual spending on healthcare in the USA

Lower productivity because of obesity costs employers $506 per obese worker per year.

As obesity and BMI rises, sick days, medical claims and costs go up as well.

Obese workers have close to 10 times the costs in medical claims and indemnity claims!

11

38.9%

Atlanta, GA

12

38.8%

Tullahoma, TN

13

38.7%

Greenville, SC

14

38.4%

Laurel, MS

15

38.2%

Memphis, TN

16

38.2%

Wilson, NC

17

38.1%

Morgan City, LA

18

37.8%

Fort Polk South, LA

19

37.8%

Nashville, TN

20

37.7%

Talladega, AL

21

37.6%

Lake City, FL

22

37.5%

Kansas City, MO-KS

23

37.3%

Lafayette, LA

24

37.2%

Omaha, NE

25

37.2%

Nashville, TN

26

37.1%

Danville, IL

27

37%

Aberdeen, WA

28

36.9%

Florence, AL

29

36.9%

Albany, GA

30

36.8%

Oxford, NC

31

36.7%

Clarksville, TN

32

36.7%

McAllen, TX

33

36.7%

Beaumont, TX

34

36.7%

Virginia Beach, VA

35

36.6%

Niles, MI

36

36.6%

Muskegon, MI

37

36.6%

Florence, SC

38

36.5%

Jonesboro, AR

39

36.5%

Jackson, TN

40

36.4%

Alexandria, LA

41

36.4%

Shawnee, OK

42

36.3%

Charleston, SC

43

36.2%

Ozark, AL

44

36.2%

Fort Smith, AR

45

36.2%

Portsmouth, OH

46

36.1%

Mobile, AL

47

36.1%

Indiana, PA

48

36%

Pittsburgh, PA

49

35.9%

Ionia, MI

50

35.9%

Chillicothe, OH

51

35.9%

Enid, OK

52

35.8%

Palatka, FL

53

35.8%

Kinston, NC

54

35.8%

Athens, TN

55

35.7%

Flint, MI

56

35.6%

Searcy, AR

57

35.6%

Baton Rouge, LA

58

35.6%

Columbus, OH

59

35.6%

Tulsa, OK

60

35.5%

Allentown, PA

61

35.5%

Hagerstown, MD

62

35.4%

New Orleans, LA

63

35.4%

Florence, SC

64

35.3%

Kokomo, IN

65

35.3%

Longview, TX

66

35.2%

Albertville, AL

67

35.2%

Chicago, IL

68

35.2%

Monroe, LA

69

35.1%

St. Joseph, MO

70

35.1%

Moses Lake, WA

71

35%

Cullman, AL

72

35%

Raleigh, NC

73

35%

Longview, TX

74

34.9%

Marion, IN

75

34.9%

South Bend, IN

76

34.8%

Gadsden, AL

77

34.8%

Augusta, GA

78

34.8%

Somerset, KY

79

34.8%

Salisbury, MD-DE

80

34.8%

Columbus, MS

81

34.8%

Lawton, OK

82

34.8%

Kingsport, TN

83

34.7%

Sebring, FL

84

34.7%

Statesboro, GA

85

34.7%

Fayetteville, NC

86

34.7%

Muskogee, OK

87

34.7%

Bloomsburg, PA

88

34.6%

Shreveport, LA

89

34.6%

Lafayette, LA

90

34.6%

Hobbs, NM

91

34.6%

Tiffin, OH

92

34.5%

Columbus, GA

93

34.5%

London, KY

94

34.5%

Goldsboro, NC

95

34.5%

Gaffney, SC

96

34.5%

Fairmont, WV

97

34.5%

Beckley, WV

98

34.5%

Stevens Point, WI

99

34.4%

Battle Creek, MI

100

34.4%

Hattiesburg,MS

How We Built This Map

The CDC recognizes that obesity is a problem (as do most professionals). They have an entire department that deals with obesity and diabetes. We used their data, and then ranked cities with at least 50,000 people based on the most recent US Census data available.

Despite our puritan heritage, Americans really love to have sex. It turns out, a lot of us like to have sex without protection, too. Using publicly available data sources, we’ve mapped sexually transmitted diseases across most major cities in the USA. The military helped cities rank strongly in the top 10, with Norfolk Naval Base, Ft. Hood, and Ft. Bragg all pushing their cities to the top.

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This map about STD statistics was created and produced by <a href="https://www.rentapplication.com">RentApplication.com </a>. You may share and embed this map with proper attribution.

The Top 10 Most Sexually Diseased Cities are:

Rank

City

Total STDs

Total STDs per 100,000

1

Montgomery, AL

4371

1899.20

2

St Louis, MO

5942

1867.54

3.

West Memphis, AR (Part of the Memphis Metro)

859

1717.29

4.

Philadelphia, PA

26151

1689.77

5.

Norfolk, VA [Norfolk Naval Base]

4013

1632.74

6.

Baltimore, MD

10134

1630.98

7.

Richmond, VA

3248

1544.39

8.

New Orleans, LA

5614

1520.37

9.

Killeen, TX [Ft. Hood]

4887

1512.83

10.

Fayetteville, NC [Ft. Bragg]

4826

1489.2

We have received many requests from the media for additional rankings, so we have expanded this list to include the top 100 most sexually diseased cities in America:

Ranking

City

Total STDs

Total STDs Per 100,0000

11

Washington, DC

9060

1432.812

12

Bronx, NYC

19847

1409.115

13

Monroe, LA

2178

1401.878

14

Amarillo, TX

1701

1390.444

15

Jackson, MS

3453

1388.738

16

Indianapolis,

12608

1371.96

17

Shreveport, LA

3461

1346.205

18

Milwaukee,WI

12832

1343.377

19

Pine Bluff, AR

992

1327.57

20

Virginia Beach,VA

1270

1316.471

21

Carbondale, IL

786

1308.452

22

Rocky Mount, NC

716

1279.623

23

Gallup, NM

916

1254.52

24

Lafayette, LA

902

1218.935

25

Orangeburg, SC

1091

1192.663

26

Memphis, TN

11068

1176.491

27

Sumter, SC

1271

1176.285

28

Detroit, MI

21056

1174.761

29

Decatur, IL

1293

1174.152

30

Clarksville, TN-KY

2118

1148.167

31

Hattiesburg, MS

882

1147.034

32

Hampton, City

1566

1144.436

33

Greenville, NC

1974

1143.99

34

Cincinnati, OH

9076

1131.617

35

Greenwood, SC

786

1126.785

36

Birmingham, AL

7267

1101.046

37

Newport News, VA

1988

1100.008

38

Cleveland-, OH

13733

1085.517

39

Tallahassee, FL

3068

1081.161

40

Columbus, GA

624

1079.211

41

Jackson, TN

1040

1054.168

42

Longview, TX

1286

1048.444

43

Little RockAR

4063

1044.599

44

Lynchburg, VA

805

1043.923

45

Peoria, IL

1954

1043.502

46

Kansas City, MO

7050

1040.779

47

Roanoke, VA

1014

1040.331

48

Anchorage, AK

3102

1038.813

49

Show Low, AZ

1110

1036.473

50

Lawton, OK

1309

1035.683

51

Albany, GA

978

1034.91

52

Florence, SC

702

1030.247

53

Mobile, AL

4249

1026.487

54

Macon, GA

1602

1023.891

55

Greensboro, NC

5121

1022.403

56

Denver, CO

6453

1017.398

57

Augusta, GA

2037

1005.494

58

Durham, NC

2789

997.3502

59

San Francisco, CA

8141

985.7567

60

Opelousas, LA

824

984.9155

61

Gainesville, FL

2471

982.8293

62

Florence, SC

1350

978.6296

63

Corpus Christi, TX

3395

976.4417

64

Jacksonville, NC

1786

974.5557

65

Boston, MA

7246

973.3674

66

Manhattan, New York City, NY

15706

970.0511

67

Roanoke Rapids, NC

523

968.4109

68

Bakersfield, CA

8224

960.5704

69

Belleville, IL

2567

954.7791

70

Lumberton, NC

1285

948.3675

71

Tuscaloosa, AL

1882

947.6525

72

Odessa, TX

1365

945.7821

73

Columbia, SC

3724

945.5857

74

Meridian, MS

745

928.6961

75

Dothan, AL

953

921.6456

76

Winston-Salem, NC

3274

914.1753

77

Columbus, OH

10916

913.0625

78

Waco, TX

2179

912.8346

79

Louisville, KY

6842

911.2606

80

Charleston SC

3270

895.493

81

Lubbock, TX

2545

890.6075

82

Houma, LA

996

890.1361

83

Jacksonville, FL

7815

888.47

84

Champaign-Urbana, IL

1804

887.4634

85

Washington, DC Beltway (Prince George’s County)

7767

881.4737

86

Springfield, IL

1754

880.2084

87

Valdosta, GA

1008

879.9497

88

Gadsden, AL

915

876.5039

89

Chicago, IL

45834

876.1408

90

Fresno, CA

8257

871.088

91

Morgan City, LA

463

862.2456

92

Kinston, NC

510

861.0938

93

Gaffney, SC

478

858.7546

94

Brooklyn, NY

21987

856.9808

95

Toledo, OH

3753

856.8532

96

Dover, DE

1428

851.8965

97

San Antonio, TX

15193

850.8129

98

Newark, NJ

6700

850.5301

99

Huntsville, TX

580

847.8541

100

Fort Polk South, LA

456

846.498

How We Collected and Created This Data

The data used here comes from the CDC for 2013, and reflects reports of syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia. (Herpes data is not collected). To normalize the data, we measured rates per 100,000 people. We chose only to show cities with a significant amount of population, so rural counties are not show on this map.

Specifically, we only rankied cities with a population of at least 50,000 or more. We ignored absolute STDs and only used the rate per 100k to establish rankings. We opted to treat Washington, DC. as a city and not a state. We also chose to represent each borough of NYC separately. They represent very different populations and should be treated as such.

Curious about how good (or bad) crime has gotten in the Big Apple? We took years of major crime statistics from the NYPD, and created a time lapse, by precinct. Click the Green Play button to start the time lapse.

About this Map

The NYPD has been using CompStat for many years to manage resources and crime. Those statistics are made publicly available . We chose to focus on the 7 major felony crimes in this map, as opposed to more nuisance and quality of life issues.

Note that how the data is created over the years has changed slightly. Certain precincts were created, others removed. Corrections data is no longer included, although it used to be.

One of the biggest pains in being a Landlord is collecting the rent. Whether “The check is in the mail” or consistently late tenants, what makes owning rental property so rewarding (the money), can often be the most difficult part of ongoing property management. That’s probably why it’s one of the most important parts of the job.

Over the past few years, more and more companies have entered the online rental payment space, targeting different markets and users. They use different technologies and different options, but the desired end result is the same: fast, effortless rent collection.

Is Getting Paid Online Better Then Getting a Check?

In a word, yes. Having your tenants set up to pay online every month, is one of the best things to happen to Landlords and Property Managers. Keep in mind that most people (especially millennials), don’t even use checks anymore. So not only do they have to write you a check, they have to remember how to use a check in the first place!

Comparing the Different Ways to Accept Rent Payments Online

There are a few different methods that you can use to get paid online. Each has their own pluses and minuses, and we’ll discuss them here:

ACH/Online Direct Deposit

ACH stands for automated clearing house, and is what the banks use to handle transferring money to each other. If you’ve ever used direct deposit as an employer or employee, it’s basically the same system.

The primary benefits of ACH include:

Same day and next day payment receipt.

Difficult to dispute (which is good for Landlords).

Can be automated.

Very low costs, compared to credit cards or paypal. (Compare $2 a transaction vs 2-3% of a rental fee!)

This is the cheapest system to use, and is also the most secure. It’s also the one that powers our online system, which you can sign up for here.

Accepting Credit Cards For Rent Payment: Good Idea or Bad for Business?

In theory, accepting credit cards seems like a good idea. Almost everyone has one, everyone knows how to use it, and you don’t have to worry if your tenant can’t afford the bill later on.

There are two main problems with credit cards for Landlords, which makes accepting them a bit of a risk, as well as expensive:

Cost: Accepting credit cards can be very expensive. Transaction costs are usually 2-3% + 50 cents of a transaction, depending on which company you use. If your rental costs $700 a month, you could potentially lose up to $21.50 a month just on credit card fees. You could try and make your tenant pay for it, but most will fight with you. Compare that to a $2 fee for accepting direct deposit, which you can directly charge your tenant, and it makes direct deposit a clear winner.

Chargebacks: The little spoken, but much bigger risk of credit cards, is chargebacks. This is when the credit card holder (in this case, your tenant), calls his bank and disputes the charge. The bank then takes the money back out of your account AND charges you a fee – anywhere between $25-75 every time. Now you have to fight with your bank to get that money back, and you often lose!

When does it make sense to accept credit cards?

If you work with a lot of low income tenants, offering the option of credit cards can allow a third party (a well to do relative or friend) to pay the occasional payment on time. Additionally, if your tenants don’t have bank accounts, they may prefer to use prepaid bank cards that they can buy at places like CVS, Wallgreens or Krogers.

Should I Use Paypal to Get Rent from Tenant?

Paypal has been around since the beginning, and is a well trusted name in the payment space. That being said, it’s important to understand the risks involved with taking any kind of money from paypal:

Chargebacks again! PayPal can and will remove money (even if sent as a “check”) from your bank account, if it decides you are defrauding the person who sent you money. The burden of proof with PayPal lies solely on the Landlord, never on the tenant!

Account Freezes: Do some Googling. Find out how many people have had a paypal account frozen! When you accept money with PayPal,it’s not your account!

Demand Draft – Printing Out a Check for Your Tenant

Demand drafts are these little known method for accepting checks. Mostly used by telemarketers, the idea works like this: You receive permission from your tenant each month to print a check in their name, with their account information. It doesn’t need to be signed. There is special software that does this for you. Then, you take this to the bank and deposit it like a regular check.

How do I start collecting rent online?

Landlords: Do You Want To Make Life Easier?

RentApplication.com is the only service that allows you to easily find tenants, screen them and collect rent, automatically. Collect Rent and never have to worry about prorating again. We're offering a free trial, which includes free tenant lookups, a free rental website, and more. Try it todsy!

One of the questions that we see asked a ton is “How Do I Calculate the Prorated Rent on My Unit”?

Before we answer that question, let’s answer an important question:

New: Use This Calculator:

What exactly is Prorated Rent?

Prorated rent is how much you, the landlord, charge a tenant when the tenant is occupies the rental for a unit less that specific on the lease.

The most common example is a tenant who starts a monthly or yearly lease in the middle of the month. Normally, you charge them for a whole month, but they won’t be living in the unit for a whole month at some point of the term. Since your daily rental rate is often significantly higher then your monthly rate, you need to prorate the apartment rental.

Why do You Need to Prorate the Rent?

Simple – it’s the honest, fair thing to do. It’s the best method for when tenants want to move in for odd lease durations, or need to get a 4.5 month lease or something similar.

How Do You Prorate the Rent?

There are two popular methods to prorate rent:

1. Number of Days in the Year

While popular in certain segments of the rental industry, it can be confusing to tenants. It’s technically the most accurate for a yearly lease, but can sometimes cause confusion and short change tenants during months with shorter days.

Here’s the formula to prorate yearly:

((Months Rent * 12) / Days in The Year)) * The Number of Days The Tenant Needs to Pay

If we took an example of August 18th Moving in Day, and a monthly rent of $1000, the equation ends up being:

((1000 * 12/ 365)) * 14 = $460.27

2. Prorate by the Number of Days in the Month

This method is simpler, easier to calculate, and ultimately ends up being fairer to tenants.

((Month's Rent) / Days in the Month)) * The Number of Days The Tenant Needs to Pay

Using our example again from above of August 18th with a $1000/m rental:

((1000 / 31)) * 14 = $451.61

Notice how the monthly prorated came out to slightly less then the yearly prorated? The yearly prorated will be more on months with 31 days.

The nice thing about the monthly pro-ration is it works extremely well for those who often rent month to month. And since your rents can be all over the place depending on demand, it makes sense to prorate based on the actual month the tenant is renting.

Additionally, it’s dead simple. Your tenants will get it and you shouldn’t have that many problems or pushback from them.

Local Laws and Prorating

As always, check with your local government about specifics related to prorating the rent. In Los Angeles, for example, the courts have decided that a rental month is always 30 days for evictions, so use that for your prorating.

Summing Up About Prorating and Rental/Lease Agreements

Whatever method you decide to use to prorate, be consistent. Specify how you’re prorating in your lease, when you take the prorated rent (some Landlords will prorate a longer term lease on the second month to smooth out income and make sure you can pay the rent), and what method you’ve decided to use to prorate the rent. Once you’ve done that, stick to it!

At the end of the day, prorating is not a difficult concept.

Post in the comments if you have questions or opinions on how to prorate!